As Spring has finally appeared, golf is starting to make its way back into the mainstream discussions around Northeast Ohio. Coaches are starting to focus on scheduling matches and tournaments while figuring out what their rosters may look like at the beginning of August. Here are some teams to keep tabs on throughout the spring and summer as they prepare for the season.

Still On Top

Nobody is going out on a limb by predicted Magnificat to once again be the best team in the area. The Blue Streaks finished second in the state last year as they defended their 2024 State Championship. While they lose standout player Kristina Chill, they still have plenty of depth to build on. Calli Reed is a legitimate superstar player along with Korrine and Kayla Knaze returning from last year’s lineup. Junior Kellen Gleason looks to be the next player up and will provide a solid fourth score.

Everybody Back

One of the best storylines from last year’s tournament season was the emergence of Canfield as a top team in the area. They have been building over the last several years and finally saw that hard work culminate in a trip to the State Tournament. The Cardinals look to run things back behind the veteran leadership of seniors Aubree Philibin and Alex Conley.

In a very similar situation to Canfield are the Minutemen from Revere. They have one of the deepest, most talented senior classes around and they are another team right on the precipice of a run to Dayton. The senior class features the balanced scoring of Ryenne Harpley, Amrita Deo, Kate Banning, and Maddy Addessi, but also seniors providing depth, including Riley Boring and Sarah Riley. Second year coach Mike Clark will have high expectations for his team this fall.

The Lake Blue Streaks lose senior Olivia Gant but bring back several scorers in a competitive lineup. Junior Charlie Brophy has developed into the team leader and the pieces have filled in around her. Look for sophomore Audrey Goebelt to make a big jump this season in Uniontown.

Finding the Missing Piece

Walsh Jesuit will definitely be looking to make another trip to the State Tournament in 2026. Losing Gianna Rodenhauser and Colleen Stadler could be a big hurdle for the Warriors, who will be relying on superstars Sarah Vojtko, Yumi Kohara, and Vivian Eich once again. Finding the fourth score is what Walsh will need to do to ensure another magical run. The frontrunner for this is senior Brooke Tercek, who is a veteran in the program.

Brunswick is also a team that is in the window of contention and will be looking to fill a spot throughout the offseason. After losing Jess Buzinski to graduation, it will be up to Brianna Behrend and a large group of returners to join the very talented top three of the Blue Devils. Ellie Gonzalez-Ribble is one of the best players in the state and along with her sister Emma and senior Rylee Roth, Brunswick will once again be a top contender.

2026 will be the last year in the Ellie Hutzler era at Hoover and her mere presence is enough to give the Vikings another shot to contend in tournament season. Her sister Frankie is going to take a big step and will provide a good second contributor. Even with some significant senior losses, Hoover has the depth to still be a strong team and will rely on senior Lauren Kemp and junior Gia Remark to fill out the roster.

A move to the Suburban League might be a huge benefit for the Kenston Bombers and longtime coach Kip Freeman. Kenston has been making a quiet run to the top of tournament leaderboards the last few years. Behind seniors Ava Solak and Stefania Mighton, Kenston will once again be a quality team, potentially challenging Revere in the Suburban League’s American Division. It will be up to sophomores Lainey Lombardo and Camryn Joyner to keep scores low for the Bombers.

On the Cusp

Senior Elena Varga and sophomore Rachel Rush proved to be one of the top one-two punches in the area last season and will look to lead an eager Hudson Explorers team in 2026. Juniors Kiley Gorog and Molly Stock were contributors last year and will look to make an even bigger impact while the Explorers also have some young players coming up that could have a say in the Explorers’ success.

Avon Lake took their coaching change right in stride as Kevin Fitch took the reins once again in 2025. The young Shoregals team exceeded expectations and have a lot of talent returning. Sophomores Presley Martter and Adalyn Becker will join junior Lily Dorsey to give Avon Lake a good chance at taking home the SWC championship and maybe even more.

Hathaway Brown is another young team with most of their contributors returning. Junior Saijal Jawa will once again lead the Blazers. Look for big improvement from junior Adelyn Ehlers and sophomore Cecilia Voelker as Hathaway Brown hopes to continue to climb the ladder.

Kent Roosevelt has been possibly the most stable program over the past several decades and will once again field a strong team in 2026. It will be junior Brooke Beatty and senior Coco Golden putting up the top scores for the Rough Riders this season as Kent will take their talents to the Metro Athletic Conference and immediately be the favorites to win the conference.

It was a transition year at Avon High School as the Eagles had many contributing seniors but also a very talented freshman class. This year will be the opportunity for those incoming sophomores to step up and take over the team. Jenavieve Plantner, Jocelyn England, and Isabella Bernhart will join senior Rylan Owens as the Eagles have a chance to be really good in the SWC.

The Jackson Polar Bears will take a different approach towards success in 2026. They have a good number of returning experienced players who are ready to step up and lead the team to success. Senior Kennedy Farrell will be the unquestioned number one in the lineup and will be joined by several other upperclassmen as Jackson will look to be the team to finally dethrone Hoover in the Federal League.

In Contention

North Royalton had one of their best seasons in recent memory last year. Seniors Maddie Pehanic and Madison Cutright look to lead a group that wins their first Suburban League title in the 2020s.

Riverside still has a relatively new program and are seeing success every year. Sydney Barker, Kaylee Naymik, and Kaylee Kirk, three talented seniors, will join sophomore Morliana Victor for the Beavers.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin has risen back to the top of their league over the past few years. Senior Alexis Urigel will be the player to watch for the Lions this fall.

Padua has become one of the deeper teams in Northeast Ohio. Their success will ride on the performance of multi-sport junior Giulia Reginelli, who is also a contributor on the volleyball team in the fall.

It will be business as usual for GlenOak this season. They once again have a strong player at the top of their lineup, senior Maci Crihfield with a good combination of experience and youth behind her.

Cloverleaf will face some strong competition to try to once again repeat as Metro Conference champions. Quinn Malarkey will hope to have a magical senior year as the Colts will continue to develop their supporting cast.

Big Shoes to Fill

It will definitely be a different feel on Rocky River Drive as the St. Joseph Academy Jaguars will be replacing an extremely talented graduating class, but also will have a slightly different look on the coaching staff. Maureen Adler will not be at the helm but will continue to be an asset to new coaches Lauren Demirjian and Amanda Schwab. Seniors Vera Swartz, Ella Babcock, and Willa Streeter will hope to continue the legacy left at St. Joseph.

It will be a new look at Green High School as head coach Jake Shocklee will not have one of his daughters on the roster for the first time in several years. The Shocklees were a staple on some talented to Bulldogs teams. Now it will fall on senior Leah Dang and a large group of fellow seniors to flip the page for the Bulldogs.

Graduation will hit no team harder than the Solon Comets as they lose generational phenom Serena Wu, who was named Cleveland.com’s Player of the Year and OhioHSGolf’s co-player of the year in 2025. It’s not possible to replace everything she brought to the table, but the Comets have players that can help the program reload, including senior Alexis Brown, who took a huge step forward last season.

Senior Polly Loney and junior Kayla Joo will be thrust into the spotlight at Nordonia after the Knights lost three strong players to graduation in Natalie Barnes, Maddie Eisner, and Carley Sutton. Nordonia is one of the best coached teams in the area and their players are always able to confidently step into the arena, so it’s important never to sleep on this team.

It’s the end of an all-time legacy at Highland High School as Mary Becker, the only coach in school history, has retired. New coach Chris Kestner will inherit a young team that lost an entire lineup of seniors after another run to the State Tournament last season. History says to never count out the Hornets, though. Juniors Anna Coleman and Charlotte Chester, both who have long lasting family ties to the program will be the players who take over the tradition at Highland.

Potential New Division 1 Programs

Buckeye High School is on the precipice of being able to start a team this fall. Coach Nick Shea has been working hard over the past few years to build a group that is ready to compete this fall and the Bucks are in good position to make that happen. There are also rumblings in Parma about the potential of a girls team at Valley Forge High School. There is still a lot of work to do but Coach Mitchell Hartel is optimistic that there may be a team in the future.

New Leadership

Several other teams have found new coaches to take over their programs for this fall. Aurora will see long time assistant Tim Baczkowski take over the varsity team. Bay has hired Nick Pacholski to replace Victoria Budzyn and lead the Rockets. Max Rauch is the new coach at Berea-Midpark as they will look to be more competitive in the Southwestern Conference. Finally, Mark Chicone is now in charge at Mentor High School as he will replace James Hrusovsky. Check out our Coaching Changes Page for all the moves that schools have made this offseason.